Let’s just rip the bandage off

Zack Snyder is not the greatest comic book movie director. 😲😲

He’s not even close. Hell, he’s not even mid-tier.

That’s not opinion… that’s backed by critic scores, audience scores, box office receipts, and, yes, even the "RestoreTheSnyderVerse" cult's limited reach.

This article though, isn’t about hating Snyder. I actually enjoy his films and believe he belongs on this list. I mean, he gave us some cool shots, slo-mo capes, and the unforgettable abs of 300.

But when it comes to actual quality storytelling, critical reception, and long-term success… Well, Snyder is trailing behind everyone that actually moved the genre forward.

Let’s break it down.. and I am fully prepared to piss off a few fanboys along the way.

Firstly, some ground rules. To be on this list the filmmaker had to make more than 2 Comic book movies… and well. That’s it.

Let’s Start With the Top: Nolan Is the King... But Is He Really?

On paper, Christopher Nolan is the undisputed king of comic book cinema.

He directed The Dark Knight Trilogy, made a billion dollars twice, and even snagged an Oscar posthumously for Heath Ledger. Critics worship him, fans praise him, and every new Batman movie is still stuck in his long-ass shadow.

But here’s the hot take… Nolan is overhyped.

Not untalented. Not bad. Just over glorified.

The Dark Knight is a great crime thriller, yes. But as a Batman movie? It's grounded to the point of suffocation. His Batman barely feels like Batman. The combat is clunky. The voice is a meme. And the third act of every film in his trilogy is a structural mess.

So yes, by the numbers, he’s #1. But let’s not pretend he reinvented cinema. He just wrapped Batman in a layer of prestige film gloss and got away with it.

The Russo Brothers Are The Blockbuster Beasts

The Russo Brothers built the Avengers endgame… literally. They delivered the most ambitious crossover in film history, and it worked.

Endgame and Infinity War raked in over $4 billion combined. They balanced 30+ characters better than Snyder handled three.

They don’t have the flair of a Raimi or Gunn, but damn if they didn’t bring the spectacle.

They’re corporate juggernauts, but their placement in the top three is earned.

Sam Raimi The Godfather of Modern Superhero Cinema

Now here’s someone who doesn’t get enough flowers.

Sam Raimi walked so the MCU could sprint.

His Spider-Man trilogy made comic book movies cool again.

Spider-Man 2 is still one of the best superhero sequels ever made.

Tobey Maguire’s return in No Way Home had audiences cheering… and that’s because of Raimi’s legacy, not Marvel’s.

Raimi deserves to be in every Top 5 list, no questions asked.

Yeah, Spider-Man 3 was messy… but guess what? So was Civil War. So was The Dark Knight Rises.

Every franchise stumbles. Raimi still stuck the landing with Doctor Strange 2, giving us a weird, horror-tinged entry that felt like it had actual directorial personality. Imagine that.

James Gunn Is Who Zack Snyder Wishes He Was

This one’s going to sting the Snyder cult… yikes!

James Gunn is ahead of Zack Snyder in nearly everyway…. And he deserves to be.

Gunn took the most irrelevant characters in Marvel’s lineup. A talking tree, a raccoon with a machine gun, and a dude who dances to ‘70s pop and made them legends.

Meanwhile, Snyder had Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman and couldn’t even crack a billion.

Gunn’s movies are heartfelt, hilarious, and critically beloved. His Suicide Squad reboot did more for DC’s cinematic reputation than BvS ever did.

And now?

He’s running the entire damn DC Universe.

That’s called evolution.

Snyder, meanwhile, is still chasing hashtags and selling t-shirts from his director’s cut.

And Then There’s Snyder... In Last Place.

Let’s not sugarcoat it… Zack Snyder is in dead last.

Critics hate his movies.

Audiences have ALWAYS been split.

Studios, (except Netflix who will greenlight nearly anything) lost faith.

And the only reason he’s still talked about is because a portion of the internet has made it a personality trait.

Sure, Zack Snyder’s Justice League was better than the Frankenstein/Whedon version from 2017… but was that really a high bar to achieve?

And yeah, his fans fought hard for the Snyder Cut (Me included). But it wasn’t good enough to save the DCEU, was it?

He had his shot. He built his universe. He fumbled it….. Hard.

Meanwhile, Gunn has launched his new Superman and rebooted an entire universe to excitement and praise. Nolan’s trilogy still gets ranked among the best. Raimi gets standing ovations just for showing up at Comic-Con. And the Russos, well, they made movie history. And are coming back to Marvel to attempt and do it again.

Snyder? He made Twitter trends and started a civil war in the DC fandom…. oof!

Final Verdict

Nolan: The critically praised God King (but maybe too worshipped).
Russos: The box office destroyers.
Raimi: The blueprint.
Gunn: The current architect.
Snyder: The guy who got one too many shots... and still fell short.

You don’t have to like it… but the numbers don’t lie.

And no amount of slow-motion Jesus poses or #Restore hashtags will change the fact that when it comes to the best comic book movie directors...

Zack Snyder finishes last…. until Uwe Bol makes a Comic Book Movie…. LOL

Who Is The G.O.A.T. Comic Book Director | HINT! It’S Not Zack Snyder.